Amount of Medical Center Quake Grant Set

The UCLA Medical Center will receive a total of $432 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair damage from the 1994 Northridge quake, university officials announced Tuesday.

UCLA had been negotiating with FEMA for more funds since March, when the agency initially granted the medical center $294 million. The final grant amount provides UCLA with less than half the $935 million officials estimate is needed for the repair and replacement of buildings in the medical complex.

“On the one hand, I guess it’s a disappointment, but on the other hand, I think the federal government has really given the university an enormous jump-start on repairing what has long been an issue,” said Sarah Jensen, director of health sciences capital projects for the university.

The medical facility lost about 14% of its structural integrity when its concrete sheer walls cracked in the 1994 temblor. The building does not pose safety concerns, but if another quake occurs, the facility’s ability to operate will be at risk, officials said. The 3.1-million-square-foot complex houses the schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing and public health, along with the hospital.

Because of the danger posed by making the repairs while the hospital is operating and the enormous costs, officials are considering rebuilding the complex on another part of the Westwood campus. Construction will not start for another three years as engineering and design plans are drawn up, Jensen said.